Day 2 – A beautifully sad day . . .

Obsession with the weather is prerequisite to being “en vacances”, so the clear blue morning banished our lingering frustrations. Replacing them with an eagerness to be up and on our way.

As the first junction of the morning approached everything seemed out of kilter. Like one of those illusions where your eyes see one thing and your brain another and it can never quite marry the two. The signs had all been moved around during the night, by a couple of giggling drunks on their way home from the pub, wishing mahem on some poor unsuspecting UKlander. But there’s no pub for miles. Ooops!! A quick swerve, a frantic 360 scan and a huge double sigh that our “faux pas” had not resulted in grief.

Planning to visit as many WW1 sites as possible on our route to our next stop, Vimy Ridge was top of our list.
We tend not to do much homework before visiting any historical place, but prefer to discover anew. As we meandered through the quiet towns and villages, we became acutely aware of just how many cemeteries of honour are scattered throughout this region. Silent, thankfully and beautifully maintained. Immaculate Jesus rows sharing with him the ultimate sacrifice.
The greater the number of crosses, the greater the urge to stop. They honoured us with their lives and the more we passed the more we became overwhelmed to pay them all due homage, finding it difficult not to stop at every memorial. Were those in smaller cemeteries less worthy of our visit?
How young, how innocent, how come?

Impressively positioned as a permanent sentinel, the Canadian War Memorial at Vimy Ridge came into view. Like a beacon guiding souls to safety and a universal reminder to all who pass its way.
The land generously donated to Canada and its loss, the French Nation forever grateful.

Soberly we sauntered, slowly making our way over to Camping Du Chateau Et De L’Oseraie. Unable to resist the cries of so many, our end of afternoon progress was interspersed with frequent calls to linger a while longer.